Jury acquits man accused in Palama stomping death
CTY TALO - 24 APRIL 2012- Defendant Vito John Talo appeared in circuit court for the first day of his jury trial on Tuesday. Talo has been accused for the second degree murder of Damaso Domingo, 54, who died after his head was repeatedly stomped upon on January 13, 2009. Honolulu Star-Advertiser photo by Cindy Ellen Russell
A Circuit Court jury acquitted a 28-year-old man of a murder charge today in the brutal beating of a man on School Street near Lanakila Avenue early Jan. 13, 2009.
The jury found Vito John Talo not guilty in the death of Damaso Domingo, 54, who was beaten so badly he wasn’t recognized by his daughter, an intensive care doctor, when he was taken to Queen’s Medical Center.
Domingo died two days later.
The prosecution charged that Talo repeatedly stomped on the victim.
Talo did not testify, but his defense was that he was not at the scene.
The jury deliberated for about an hour Friday and about a half day today.
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The key prosecution witness was Aitasi Legatasia, 22, who testified that he was with Talo that early morning. Legatasia said he punched Domingo, but Talo stomped on the victim.
Legatasia pleaded no contest earlier to a misdemeanor assault charge, which was dismissed after Legatasia stayed out of trouble for a year.
Talo’s defense attorney, Richard Hoke, argued that Legatasia was a "bald-face liar" and shouldn’t be believed.
